Chapter 1405


    Slim fingers danced across the keyboard, tapping out a rhythm as rapid as the heartbeat of a


    hummingbird. The screen before Cedric flickered with lines of code, each barrier crumbling under his


    deft touch. But when he reached the core of the program, his pulse stalled. The chip’s software split


    like a cell, doubling its defenses. His gaze shot up to Bernard, who sat with the serenity of a monk in


    deep meditation.


    “Bernard, I’ve heard whispers about this tech on the dark web,” Cedric said, his voice tinged with


    disbelief. “They say it’s meant to monitor and control, like something out of a dystopian sci-fi. How did


    youe across it?”


    Bernard’s eyes, cool and detached, shifted to meet Cedric’s troubled stare.


    “It’s in my head,” he replied, his tone as casual as if discussing the weather.


    A chill raced through Cedric, a serpentine cold wrapping around his ankles and slithering up his spine.


    “B-Bernard, that’s like a doomsday device. How on earth did it end up inside your head?”


    While Cedric’s face was a canvas of shock, Bernard remained asposed as ever, his eptance of


    the situation bordering on the unnerving.


    “It exists, and that’s that. Just focus on whether you can shut this thing down,” Bernard said, his voice


    devoid of self-pity, always brushing off the gravity of his pain as if it were mere dust on his shoulder.


    Cedric’s heart ached for him, his fingers lifting from the keyboard, drawn irresistibly to Bernard’s head.


    Though invisible to the eye, Cedric knew too well the agony his brother must have endured for that chip


    to be imnted in his brain.


    Tenderly, he ruffled Bernard’s thick hair, his touch a silentment for the suffering endured. “Does it


    hurt, Bernard?”


    Bernard wasn’t one for physical affection, save for Eleanor’s gentle touch, but in this moment, he


    allowed Cedric’s concern to break through his armor. He didn’t flinch, nor did he pull away.


    After mere seconds, Bernard gently halted Cedric’s hand. “There’s bigger fish to fry. I need you to


    disable the surveince, GPS, and the self-destruct mechanisms in this thing. Only then can we take


    Siren back to Area Opaca ande out on top. Otherwise, stepping foot in there will be a suicide


    mission.”


    In just a few words, Cedric grasped the gravity of what Bernard had faced in Area Opaca. Without


    another word, he dove back into the code, his mind racing with strategies.


    Their enemy, Yates, aware of Bernard’s efforts, sent a countdown signal as a warning. But Bernard,


    knowing all too well that Yates wouldn’t y his hand so soon, instructed Cedric to press on.


    Faced with a formidable foe, Cedric suggested they move to the group’sputer center for more


    firepower. Bernard made him swear to secrecy about the chip before they headed to the technological


    hub. Cedric fired up the systems and worked tirelessly through the night.


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    He managed to disable the tracking and monitoring functions, but as soon as he did, new code


    cascaded across the screen. They were not alone in this cyber battleground.


    Cedric, now troubled, turned to Bernard. “The chip’s split its functions. I can buy us time by dying the


    reactivation of the monitoring and GPS, but the self-destruct… I can’t even simte the code. It’s


    nearly impossible, unless…”


    Bernard knew what he meant. The chip could only be removed by surgery, but the risk of infection,


    brain death, or a vegetative state was high.


    The man who couldn’t afford to die just yet stood up and walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window. He


    watched the Laurence Group employees bustling below, his mind racing with options. After only a


    moment’s hesitation, he made his decision. He whipped out his phone and called the best doctors,


    urging them to rush to A City.


    The specialists arrived, putting aside their own work to assess Bernard’s situation. After extensive


    consultation, they reached a consensus. “Mr. Laurence,” one doctor began, “the probability of brain


    death if we remove the chip is 100%. We strongly advise against the surgery.”


    Cedric, overhearing this, went pale. “But if we leave it in, won’t that be even more dangerous?”


    The doctor pointed to the X-ray. “The chip has moved to where the tumor was and isced with a virus.


    Even the smallest incision could lead to infection. Leaving it in ce gives you more time.”


    In the face of impossible choices, Bernard stood at the crossroads between life and death, the weight


    of his decision as heavy as the fate of Siren.